ISSN 1649-7937
Cumann Geinealais na hÉireann “Cuimhnigí ar Ár Sinnsir—Remember Our Ancestors”
Ireland’s Genealogical Gazette (incorporating “The Genie Gazette”) Vol. 14 No. 1
January : Eanáir 2019
www.familyhistory.ie
January 1919—Dáil Éireann, War and Flu We’re continuing with our focus on the “Decade of Centenaries” which commemorates the revolutionary period from 1912 to 1923 and, in particular, highlighting the events that most impacted on the lives of our ancestors and families at that time. It is hard to describe the events of the three months from November 1918 to January 1919 as anything other than a period of social and political upheaval. The First World War came to an end in November 1918 and the troops began returning home, however, whilst this was a joyous occasion and relief for many homes, others were left to mourn the loss of loved ones and possibly face economic hardship. Politically the upheaval was seismic as the results of the General Election of December 1918 swept away the old guard of Irish nationalism in favour of revolutionary republicanism. Although, it is doubtful whether many understood republicanism to mean anything other than independence from Great Britain. As the results of the General Election became apparent, many homes were facing a much more insidious and devastating trauma—the spread of the “Spanish Flu” in Ireland. The mortality amongst the Irish followed the international pattern with mortality peaking in the mid-life period between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four. Indeed, disproportionally amongst the twenty to fortyfour year olds and, as Ida Milne reminds us in her monumental work ‘Stacking the Coffins—Influenza, War and Revolution in Ireland, 19181919’ (Manchester University Press, 2018), this “must have left large numbers of children without at least one parent, and families struggling to survive”. This would have been extremely hard on those families with young children that lost the main breadwinner in the trenches and only to have the mother taken by the influenza (H1N1 virus) pandemic.
The Irish population, unlike many others breaking free from imperialism in Europe, had developed a deep understanding of the power of the vote. Historians credit this to the campaigns of Daniel O’Connell and Charles Stewart Parnell in the nineteenth century. The broad alignment of many of the UK parliamentary boundaries with the existing Irish county boundaries created a new awareness of an evolving local polity, a point probably not lost on the founders of the Gaelic Athletic Association in November 1884. The enactment of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898 and the widening of the franchise at local level reinforced this attachment to a “county polity” and, of course, to the power of the democratic process throughout the country. The enactment of the Representation of the People Act, 1918 widened the franchise at parliamentary level even further and, as we mentioned last month, in the General Election of December 1918, the overwhelming majority voted to be citizens and not subjects. This was a remarkable popular expression of nationhood, arising from which, the First Dáil was convened on January 21st 1919 in the Mansion House, Dublin. Dáil Éireann issued the ‘Declaration of Independence’ on that day, however, a controversial event in Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary, heralded the start of the ‘War of Independence’ on the same day. Whilst official Ireland will mark the events of the “Decade of Centenaries” with ceremonies, unveiling of monuments, religious services, books, seminars and academic conferences, local historians and genealogists are simultaneously being provided with a wealth of new research avenues. Some say “it’s all politics” but this is to ignore the wider impact of these events on the ordinary people of Ireland who were living through extraordinary times of turmoil, tragedy, hardship and loss. Their lives and stories are part of what we are today and therefore, the onus is upon us to research, record and preserve their stories for future generations.
OPEN MEETINGS Dún Laoghaire Further Education Institute Cumberland Street, Dún Laoghaire Tuesday 8 January—20.00hrs Tuesday 12 February—20.00hrs _______________________________________________________________________
GENEALOGY HERALDRY VEXILLOLOGY SOCIAL HISTORY Heritage Matters Book Reviews Open Meetings News & Events DATA PROTECTION The Board on May 3rd 2018 adopted the following resolution on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - Res: 18/05/1380 "That, the Board, in order to make arrangements for compliance with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes into force on May 25th 2018, agrees to place a notice in 'Ireland's Genealogical Gazette' advising Members that the Society holds the following records on its Members (1) Name; (2) Address; (3) Telephone Number; (4) Email Address and (5) the name of the Associate Member, if applicable, and that such records are only used for the purpose of contacting Members on Society matters and for the dispatch of the Monthly Newsletter and the Annual Journal and furthermore, that these records are only held by the Director of Membership Services and are inaccessible to all other persons and that, the Society does not share this information with any other individual or organisation." Records are also held for contractual necessity to deliver paid services.
In this issue……. • • • • • • • •
Santiago de Compostela Articles—Last Call! James Scannell Reports Local History Societies GSI Lecture Programme Précis of Dec. Lecture GSI Member’s Phone Deal Directions & map to new premises in Loughlinstown
Royal Marine Hotel Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire Wednesday 23 January—10.30hrs Wednesday 27 February —10.30hrs Contribution €3.00 p.p. http://www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk
@GenSocIreland
(including Tea/Coffee at the Morning Meeting)
Monthly Newsletter of the Genealogical Society of Ireland